The Star Tribune reports that Cargill, one of the largest food corporations in the U.S., is buckling under pressure from animal advocates, and moving away from cruel gestation crates.
According to the newspaper, “The move to group sow housing by Cargill and other U.S. pork firms reflects an important shift in thinking about animal welfare, from consumers to large food corporations. Consumers are increasingly interested in how their food is produced — including how animals are treated — while animal rights groups have ratcheted up pressure on the food industry.”
The article continues, “Cargill is one of the largest U.S. pork producers. About 30 percent of the pigs it turns into meat are born at company-owned sow operations.”
More than 60 major food retailers, including Safeway, Kroger, Kmart, and Costco, have committed to ending the use of restrictive gestation crates in their pork supply chains. And just last year, the Retail Council of Canada announced that all eight of the country’s leading grocery chains, including Loblaws, Metro, and Sobeys, are requiring their pork suppliers to phase out the inherently cruel crates.
Even so, Walmart, the leading pork retailer in the United States, still refuses to budge on this pressing issue. To learn more and urge Walmart to do the right thing and ban gestation crates for good, visit WalmartCruelty.com.
